“THE THINKER OF THE WORLD SCALE”: VASILY MAKLAKOV ABOUT LEO TOLSTOY

Abstract

This article analyzes the public speeches and conferences dedicated to Leo Tolstoy given by Vasily Maklakov, an exceptional lawyer and liberal figure from the early 20th century. The long-standing friendship between Maklakov and Tolstoy, and the depth of understanding of the spiritual heritage of the great writer by one of the outstanding intellectuals of the Russian “Silver Age” determine the scientific significance of these sources. The paper demonstrates that the main objective of Maklakov’s presentations on Tolstoy was to identify the nature of his ideas and help his contemporaries and descendants to recognize him as a thinker of global significance. According to the politician, the writer’s original philosophy was a controversial combination of positive outlook and religious attitudes. He stated that the question of life’s meaning was a fundamental issue of the Tolstoyan movement. Tolstoy sought to find such a meaning in human life that would not be destroyed by the death of the latter and found the answer in the life of man not for himself, but for others in accordance with Christ's commandment on love of neighbour. Maklakov noted that Tolstoy was against any personal violence, which explains his anti-state views. Although the liberal did not support most of Tolstoy’s concepts, he determined the great significance of the moral message, reminding people of the independent power of goodness in writer’s thoughts.